Fear

9- London 1888

Maria glanced up from her sewing subtlety trying to listen into the women gossiping under their breath while they did their heming and crocheting.

There had been a buzz about the workhouse for the last fortnight. They were talking about Mary, another woman that had been found dead.

"Just like Martha," a woman who looked way beyond her 37 years said, through her browned teeth, "she was all cut up, like she'd met some savage. Ripped to pieces, that's what ma 'arry said. He saw 'er, just lying at Bucks, 'er 'ead was awf."

"The papers said your 'arry and the others ne'er seen or heard nowt."

"Well not at night but when the body was found he had a gander, said there were blood all over the place up the walls. Butchered, just like the 'orses they did. That's what 'e said."

"Folk were saying that she was out wi' soldiers, mibae them what done it." Eliza said. She was one of the oldest in the workhouse. Which earned her the respect of the others but no one liked her, especially Maria who had been on the receiving end of the old woman's sharp tongue and even sharper fist on a number of occasions.

"No not Martha, Mary. Tis was Mary ma 'arry seen, said the runners were all over and that detective

"Tis awful, the girls down the market are all scared. They're saying only those who are desperate or drunkards are out after dark. That guy you know the one over at George's Yard, the school for folks that think they're fancy, well 'e's been saying his girls are too scared to go out and the ladies what teach at night won't come down Spitalfields at all once suns down. It was in the paper."

"I met 'er, in swan 'bout week back. Mary she was working'"

The woman sighed.

Marie wondered why they were annoyed that someone was working surely that was a good thing. She looked over at them all.

"You Doherty." Eliza, called on her. "Get on with your work. Eyes down little one, stop listinin' to 'hings you ain't meant to. Or some'un 'll cut awf your ears." She snapped.

Maria put her head down. She wanted to keep her ears, and her jobs in the laundry and sewing room.The workhouse had got busier in the last few weeks, mainly women and girls. Finding that the place was safer, but it did mean there was more competition for the good jobs. So she didn't want to be seen as slacking off.

She hadn't seen Liz for a while. She wondered where her guardian was, she was aware that her father was in solitary again and her one brother who was still in here didn't want anything to do with her. It made her sad to be alone.

"You'll be put out soon anyway." Another of the women sneered. What are you 14 now? You should be looking for a man, someone to play with yer kettle drums then make you into a woman." They cackled like a coven and went back to their whispering.

"Did you see the picture in the paper? 'Er 'ead 'ad t' be sewn back on to 'er body. Rolling about the yard it was. Mibie bring the next 'un in 'ere, we'll get the guttersnipe to do it." They laughed as they nodded towards Maria with their heads.

"Ladies!" The Master's voice bellowed out over the work room. "Less talk, more work! Unless you want to spend the night in solitary or worse out there with the Whitechapel Murderer."

The women knew better than to answer back.

"Docherty."

Maria looked up momentarily in acknowledgment before lowering her eyes.

"Can you come with me please, Lass."

Maria stood up swiftly and dusted her apron off. She wondered where Matron was and why the Master had called on her himself. But she knew she shouldn't question.